Lady Cyclones blank North Greene
Published 3:49 pm Monday, March 24, 2025
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Elizabethton’s Laci Gobble (2) delivers a two-run single on this shot through the infield with one out in the bottom of the second inning Saturday afternoon against the Lady Huskies of North Greene.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclones’ Piper Bennett (16) slides in safely as the throw gets by North Greene’s Charlee Turnmire (6) for the second run off Laci Gobble’s two-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning Saturday afternoon.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Cyclones starting pitcher Katie Gryder (18) fires a warmup pitch prior to the start of the top of the third inning Saturday afternoon against the Lady Huskies of North Greene.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Huskies’ Loren Blevins (1) leads off the top of the third by beating out a bunt, as Addy Campbell (1) stretches for the throw from pitcher Katie Gryder (18), for a single on a bang-bang play at first base.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent With no one out in the top of the third, Elizabethton makes a pitching change, bringing in Laci Gobble (2) to replace starter Katie Gryder (18) Saturday afternoon against North Greene.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent After stepping on third base to force North Greene’s Loren Blevins (1), the Lady Cyclones’ Brook Sparks (9) fires to first, trying to complete a double play in the top of the third inning Saturday afternoon.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclones’ Brook Sparks (9) turns on a pitch, only to foul out to North Greene catcher Charlee Turnmire (6) in the bottom of the third Saturday afternoon.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclones’ Piper Bennett (16) smacks a line drive up the middle to center for a single in the bottom of the third Saturday afternoon.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Cyclones’ Katie Gryder (18) congratulates Gracie Estep (7) after she scored on Laci Gobble’s (2) RBI single in the bottom of the third Saturday afternoon.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Star Correspondent
The Elizabethton Lady Cyclones softball squad won their sixth consecutive victory on Saturday with a 6-0 shutout over North Greene. Laci Gobble came on in relief of starter Katie Gryder in the top of the third inning after Gryder gave up a single and plunked a batter to open the frame.
“I just had a feeling, and sometimes you do that,” Lady Cyclones head coach Kenneth Hardin said on replacing Gryder at that point. “They are both good pitchers, and we got a good win at Gate City last night, and I just wanted to keep it going. Gobble got the win last night, and Gryder started strong, but I just had a feeling.”
Gryder pitched two full innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout and one walk, but she hit three Lady Huskies hitters over that span. The Cyclones (8-2 overall) struck for three runs in the last of the second inning, with Brook Sparks opening with a single and Piper Bennett reaching on an infield error, putting runners on first and second.
With Jozey Reece in the batter’s box, EHS pulled off a double steal to move the runners to second and third. Reece was retired on strikes, and Lilly McDuffie walked to load the bases. Gobble then delivered a two-run single to center field, and a sacrifice fly from Sadie Williams staked the Cyclones to a 3-0 advantage.
“We are still in a rotation where we are deciding who plays where,” Hardin said. “The kids are responding in a positive way, and we’ll see what happens.”
EHS struck for two more runs against North Greene starter Matti Phillips, who pitched well after the third inning, but she was undermined by infield miscues that extended the Cyclones’ at-bats. With two out in the third, Bennett and Reece singled, and McDuffie reached on an error to load the bases once again. Gobble drove in her third run of the game by drawing a walk for a 4-0 EHS lead.
The rally continued when a wild pitch brought home the Cyclones’ second run of the frame and fifth of the game. In the sixth inning, Gobble collected her second hit of the game to open the stanza, and when the Huskies’ center fielder misplayed the ball, Gobble raced to second base on North Greene’s third error of the contest.
Williams sacrificed pinch runner Gracie Estep to third, and she scored on a ground ball from Gryder. For EHS, Gobble pitched five innings in relief, giving up no runs on four hits. She struck out five and walked none, but hit one Huskies player with a pitch.
Gobble finished two-for-two at the dish, with Sparks also getting a pair of hits. For North Greene, leadoff hitter Loren Blevins had three hits.
EHS 6, North Greene 0
North Greene 000 000 0 – 0 6 3
EHS 032 001 x – 6 7 1
W – Gobble. L – Phillips.
E – NG 3, EHS 1. DP – EHS 1. 2B – Gryder.
